2014 Review

Dolphins’ quarterback Ryan Tannehill finished up the season as the eighth-ranked fantasy quarterback in 2014. This speaks wonders for anyone who drafted Tannehill in late rounds as a backup to say, Matthew Stafford? Tannehill exceeded expectations and passed for 4,045 yards, 27 touchdowns and only12 interceptions. He also tallied 311 rushing yards and one rushing score.

Tannehill only had two weeks where he did not pass for at least 200 yards. Additionally, he hit his career-high in passing with 396 yards and four touchdowns in Week 16 against the Minnesota Vikings. Starting Tannehill that week may have single-handedly helped win your fantasy championship.

As for the Dolphins’ ground game, their star running back and a handy RB2 to have owned was Lamar Miller. Miller totaled 1,099 rushing yards and scored eight touchdowns. Additionally, he racked up 275 receiving yards and one receiving score. This was enough to rank him No. 9 among his fellow running backs in 2014. Likely, he was drafted lower than his earned ranking making him a bargain for those who gambled with him.

Unfortunately, Knowshon Moreno proved to be a giant bust in Miami after he suffered an injury in Week 3. He is currently an undrafted free agent.

Former Dolphins’ wide receiver Mike Wallace led the team in touchdowns with 10 resulting from 862 receiving yards. He ranked 18th overall in fantasy points which was appropriate for being drafted in mid-rounds.

A nice surprise for fantasy owners playing particularly in PPR leagues was the emergence of rookie wide receiver, Jarvis Landry. Landry actually surpassed Wallace in receptions with 84 compared to Wallace’s 67. He finished the season with 758 yards and five touchdowns and was a useful fill-in flex in the later part of the season.

As for former tight end Charles Clay, he was not worth starting most of the season. He ranked 16th in fantasy points for tight ends totaling 605 yards and three scores.

Veteran Additions

Wide receiver Greg Jennings joined the Dolphins during the offseason which kicks off his 10th year in the NFL. While his grand days of posting back-to-back 1,000-plus yard seasons are behind, he will still add some value to the team’s offense and should only be targeted in later rounds as a fantasy option.

Jennings faces a slew of younger receivers for competition and the group could be fighting for targets once the season gets underway.

The Dolphins further beefed up their receiving unit by trading for Kenny Stills who played his first two seasons with the New Orleans Saints. During that stretch of time, Stills totaled 1,572 yards and eight touchdowns. As far as a fantasy option, he was hit and miss in New Orleans. Stills has a knack for catching some pretty impressive long passes and excels in speed. He could be a dark horse entering the season.

With the loss of Clay, the Dolphins signed tight end Jordan Cameron to the squad. Cameron who dealt with many concussion issues, failed to impress during his last season with the Cleveland Browns. He surely disappointed those who drafted him based on his excellent 2013 season that earned him a spot at the Pro Bowl.

Perhaps working with Tannehill could boost the tight end’s fantasy value this season. However, at this point, he makes somewhat of a risky fantasy tight end option when we look at what Clay produced while with the team. He's worth drafting late with the hope he could surprise.

NFL Draft

The Dolphins drafted Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker with their first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Parker comes from four college seasons where he totaled 2,775 receiving yards and 33 touchdowns. He also averaged an impressive 17.8 yards per reception. In 2012, Parker ranked first in the Big East with his 18.6 average yards per catch that year.

Parker will compete for targets with Landry, Jennings, Stills. As for a fantasy option, he should be drafted as late as possible and stashed until we see what type of an impact he has with the team this year.

Potential Breakout Star

After coming from a bum season in 2014, Cameron could potentially surprise those who draft him. He has the ability to make some huge plays as displayed from his 2013 season in Cleveland as noted above. Spring OTA’s showed that Cameron was starting to develop a good rapport with Tannehill.

Cameron who stands 6-foot-5 could make some impact in the end zone which is where the Dolphins lacked last year despite the fact they led the NFL in trips to the red zone in 2014.

Potential Disappointment

The only player set up for possible disappointment here would be Tannehill. His draft value may tend to soar based on his 2014 successful season. If he is drafted with the expectation that he will further rise in fantasy value that won’t necessarily happen. The Dolphins have developed a sound ground game with Miller showing up last season proving he is a capable all-down back.

Don’t look for Tannehill to far supersede his 4,045 passing yards and 27 touchdowns he posted last year. Wait for later rounds for the young quarterback to fall to you.